Dry powder fire extinguisher



Mal'Ch 19, 1957 J. B. FLEMING Erm. 2,785'759 DRY POWDER FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed March 3, 1955' Z 5 0o Q 'o A 1m DI T INVEN ORSI Mardi 19, 1957 J. B. FLEMING ErAx. ,2785759 DRY POWDER FIE EXTINGUISHER yFiled March 3, '1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DRY POWDER FIRE EXTINGUISHER Jer'e B. Fleming and Martin B. Fleming, New York, N. Y.

Application March 3, 1955, Serial No. 491,858

4 Claims. (Cl. 169-31) This invention relates to dry powder iire extinguishers.

It is an object of this invention to provide an inexpensive and etiicient dry powder tire extinguisher.

It is another object to provide a re extinguisher having a diaphragm ruptureable by a plunger.

These and other objects of this invention will become readily apparent upon reading the following disclpsure taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the lire extinguisher showing the valve structure,

Fig. 2 is a section view of the valve showing the plunger pierced through the diaphragm,

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section View of the plunger disposed against a diaphragm prior to deforming the diaphragm,

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a section view of a modified re extinguisher having a squeeze grip means for depressing the valve plunger and Fig. 7 is a view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

. Turning to Figs. 1 to 5 there is shown a lire extinguisher in which an internally threaded tubular valve housing 29 is provided with a conical shoulder 30. A syphon tube 31 having an integral funnel opening 31X is pressure seated on shoulder 30 in gas tight relationship thereto.

A screw threaded tubular plug 32 is provided with a non-threaded cut-back depending end 32X having a beveled area 33 (Fig. 4) adapted to seat in a pressure tight manner upon an easily deformable copper sealing disk 34. The cut-back end 32X being of lesser diameter it provides an annular chamber between plug 32 and valve housing 29.

The threaded plug 32 is adapted to be threadingly disposed in housing 29 and at its upper end it is provided with a polygonal conguration adapted to be engaged by a wrench, for example a hexagon. One face of the hexagon is provided with a bore-hole 35 (Fig. 2) adapted to receive a locking safety pin 36 having a finger ring 37.

A dome shaped cap 38 having a top centrally disposed aperture is also provided with a second aperture in a depending circular skirt 39 adapted to receive pin 36, to lock immoveably the cap 38 to plug 32.

Tubular plug 32 is provided with a captively held plunger 40 having a bore-hole 41 therein. The plunger 40 is provided with a lateral port or opening 42 leading to bore-hole 41 adjacent the top thereof.

Plunger 40 is further provided with a circular groove 43 adapted to receive a resilient rubber friction ring 44 to effect a gas tight seal between ring 44 and plug 32.

The plunger 4t) of this modification is provided with a iiat area 45 adjacent its top. Plug 32 is provided with a transverse tubular aperture through its hexagon top portion in such a manner that the transverse tubular Patented Mar. 19, 1957 aperture passes adjacent to vertical wall 45 of the vertical plunger 40 disposed in plug 32.

The insertion of a rod pin 46 (Fig. 3) locks the plunger 40 to plug 32 in a captive yet vertically moveable manner, the limits of movement being restricted by the length of at area 45.

The cap 33 is removeably secured to plunger 40 by conventional means such as a screw 47 disposed through the top aperture of said cap.

The plunger 40 is also provided at its lowermost end with a beveled cutting edge 48 adapted to pierce a deformed or cup-shaped sealing disk 34. The plunger cutting edge 4S is normally fully disposed in the vertical borehole of plug 32 (Fig. l). The constricted section 32X of plug 32 is provided with at least one lateral aperture 49 passing through the circular wall thereof into the vertical borehole thereof. Also the valve seating element 29 is provided with an exit orice 50 into which a nozzle 51 is press tted and through which a dry powder re extinguishable material is conducted.

A handle 52, having a U-shaped handle bar 'section 53 is integral with an apertured container engaging section 54 and is secured between container 1() and the bottom of valve seating element 29, which latter passes through theaperture of section 54.

In the operation of the embodiment shown in Fig. l to 5 the valve is `assembled by disposing the funnelshaped syphon'tube into the valve seating element 29 until the funnel section seats securely on the conical seating area 30 thereof. Thereupon disk 34, preferably of soft copper, is disposed on the funnel rim wall of the syphon tube 31 (Fig. 4). Next the plug 32 is rmly screw threaded into the screw threaded housing 29 using a wrench thereby deforming the copper disk 34 (Fig. 1) until the beveled shoulders 33 of plug section 32 engage the cup-shaped copper disk walls with great pressure, said pressure being applied by use of a hand wrench on the top hexagon section of plug 32, said pressure being transmitted through the copper disk to the funnel walls 31X of syphon tube 31 and thence against the beveled area 30 of housing 29 to form a gas tight seal capable of withstanding high gas pressure.

Fig. l shows a re extinguisher of this modilication ready for use. In the event of re the safety pin 36 is pulled out and the cap 38 is given a sharp blow with the palm of the hand whereupon plunger 40 descends and cutting edge 48 cuts through disk 34 (Fig. 2) forcing a cut-out flap 55 of the disk 34 to be disposed parallel to the vertical wall of syphon tube 31. The downward movement of plunger 40 is arrested by the flat plunger area 45 moving to its top most limit against rod pin 46, bringing aperture 42 in register with orilice 49 and also with orice 50, thereby permitting the dry powder to pass from the container 10 into nozzle 51 so that it may be directed against a lire.

Turning to Figs. 6 and 7 there is shown a modified form of this invention. In this modication an internally threaded tubular valve housing 52 is provided with an internal beveled shoulder 30 as in the previously described modiication. A syphon tube 31 having a funnel rim 31X is disposed in housing 29 so that rim 31X seats on the beveled shoulder 30 as in the above described modification.

A partially threaded tubular plug 53 is provided with a top exterior polygonal surface 54 section and a bottom section having exteriorly disposed threads 55. The threads 55 are adapted to mate with the threads of the tubular housing 29.

The bottom threaded section of tubular plug 53 is provided with a beveled edge 56 adapted to produce a cup shaped copper sealing disk 34 in the same manner as previously described.

The polygon section ofplug 53 is provided with an orice 57 leading from the borehole of the interior through'a flat face of the polygon top section (Fig. 7 )7. A U-shaped handle 58 is welded to the polygon face opposed to the polygon face having orifice 57 therein.

A plunger 59 having a lower tubular section and a top solid section is provided with a pair of apertures in the top solid section. The lower tubular plunger section is provided with an aperture 60 communicating with tube of the plunger. The lower endof the plunger is provided with a beveled cutting edge 61 and preferably the plunger is constrictedY to a section of lesser diameter 62 adjacent its end.

The Yplunger 59 is hinged by means of hinge pin 63 to the side walls Vof a top U-shaped squeeze grip plate 64.

Thefront U-'shaped swivel plate 65' having an apertured flat section 66 is disposed adjacent oriiice 57 of plug 53. The aperture of iiat section 66 is adapted to receive the threaded tubular end of nozzle 67. The threaded end of nozzle 67 is threadingly disposed into orifice 57. Thus'swivel plate 65 is captively held in place by nozzle v65. A hinge pin 68 is passed through suitable apertures disposed in the side walls of the U-shaped section of plate 65, and through suitable co-acting apertures disposed in the side walls of grip plate 64 at the front end thereof.

A safety pin, for example a cotter pinl 69 is disposed said container, the bore of said housing borehole having a top screw-threaded portion and a bottom inwardly beveled shoulder; a plug having a central smooth Walled borehole, said plug being provided with exterior screwthreads engaging the threaded section of the housing borehole, said plug having a beveled bottom wall and having at least one lateral aperturetcommunicating between said smooth walled boreholeV and said housing borehole, said lateral aperture of said plug Vbeing in com'- munication with said lateral aperture of saidrhousing; a cylindrical smooth walled plungerrhaving Va central bot tom cavity, said cavity having a top orifice, slidingly disposed in said plug borehole and extending thereabove, said plunger having a bottom sloped cutting edge, a funnel tube extending into the container'and having a suitrably Vtlared funnel mouth seated uponsaid beveled shoulder of said housing; a cupV vshaped pierceable diaphragm placed in the funnel .of said tube,Y said' plug beveled bottom wall forceably engaging said diaphragm in gas tight relationship; and'means rsecured Vto said plunger for forcing said plunger into said diaphragm and in the lowermost aperture disposed in the solid section of plunger 59 thereby preventing lowering .of the plunger L until Vthe cotter pin is removed. The cotter piu 69 is provided with a wire finger Ygrasp'70 for rapid removal of the cotter pin as by a quick outward jerk on said grasp 70.

The handle SS'and grip plate 64 are urgingly disposed Vaway from each other'by a coil compression spring 71 held therebetween by dimple protuberances 72 disposed in the respective elements 58 and V64.

In the operation of the modification of Figs. 6 and 7 after the removal of the cotter pin 69, the grip plate 64 is depressed toward handle S8. This movement of plates -64 depresses plunger 59 causing cutting edge. 61 to cut through copper diaphragm 34. Simultaneously aperture 60 of-plunger 59 is brought into register with aperture 57 of housing 53, thereby permitting the powder from container10 to pass up the borehole of plunger 59 and thence into nozzle 67 whenceV it is directed againsta re.

Release of pressure Vof plate 64 allows `coil spring 71 to push plate 64 upwardly thereby pullingtplunger 59 Yupward to bring aperture 69 out of register with orifice V57 and thus cut oir the stream of extinguisher material.

This invention has been described by means of a pair of embodiments but clearly other obvious embodiments fall within the scope of the claims herein.V

We claim:V

l. A dispenser for dry powdery material disposed in a container with high pressure gas comprising a pressure resistant container having a mouth aperture, a housing simultaneously bring said o'ritice of said plunger cavity into A.registration with the lateral aperture of said plug, thereby permitting the powdery material undergaspreslsure in saidrcontainer to be forced uptthe funnel tube and through said plunger cavity and;its orifice Ythen throughy saidlateral aperture .of said plug :and finally through said lateral aperture Yoflsaid housing.YV

2. The dispenser .of claim 1 comprising a hand operableA cap secured'xedly to said plunger abovefsaid plug, a flat wall area on said plunger,A said plug having Va horizontally disposed pin hole disposed parallel to yand adjacent to said `plunger at'wall area,rand a holdingfpin disposed in saidpinhole thereby preventing rotation of 'saidV plunger to electregistration fof the plunger orice with the lateral aperture of said plug.

3. The dispenserwof claim 2.said plugk having a bottom of lesser cross-sectional area than .the top exteriorly threaded portion; thereby formingV a Vchamber between said` plug andl said housing, and handle means secured between said housing and saidy container. Y

4. The apparatus of claim 3 comprising an` aperture in said cap and a co-acting cavity in said plugfand a .pull-'out safety pin disposed through' cap apertureand .into said plug cavity to prevent accidental operation of said4 cap without rst removing saidv safety pin;

References Cited in the iile ofthis patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS Griggs Julyg7, 

